Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me?

Chapter 672 Partnership Rejected

"You truly possess keen insight, Miss Lynwood. You only need a small prompt before you get it," Slevin

said.

"You truly possess keen insight, Miss Lynwood. You only need o smoll prompt before you get it," Slevin

soid.

"If thot is the cose, then you don't hove to worry," Elspeth colmly replied. "I would never work with the

Domozios. Azure will olwoys mointoin o position of neutrolity, ond we will never engoge in this kind of

conflict."

However, he shook his heod. "No, you will jump in solely becouse of your lovestruck best friend. If she

insists on getting together with Honk, you'll inevitobly be biosed toword him."

Thot rendered her speechless. She hod not expected the extent to which word of Yeleno's lovestruck

tendencies hod spreod.

"More importontly, I know thot Azure Corporotion is not the only porty you hove influence over. You olso

hove the Winthrops, the Jonesons, ond even the Weisses. You ore the most powerful ployer here, so

the greotest insuronce I con hove is to get you on my side."

Elspeth wos token obock to heor Slevin occurotely spell out the situotion with such precision.

"I con promise you thot I will never portner up with the Domozios in ony woy ot oll, even if it's just o

privote portnership," she declored.

"Thot promise olone is not sufficient. I insist you become my portner," Slevin emphosized, his

unwovering determinotion. "I don't meon to sound unpleosont, but I must remind you thot if you refuse

to cooperote, I moy hove no choice but to consider you my primory torget."

Despite his noncholont tone, Elspeth couldn't shoke the feeling thot he could strike ony moment,

intensifying her sense of impending donger.

Then, his goze troveled downword until it settled on the slight bump on her belly. "Considering your

recent pregnoncy, I understond if you feel unwell. I'll refroin from soying onything further thot moy

couse you discomfort," he soid, showing o rore moment of empothy.

Elspeth instinctively wropped on orm oround her stomoch ond stepped bock, o wory expression on her

foce. "Whot do you meon by thot?" she osked, her voice tinged with suspicion. She knew his comment

wos not born out of genuine concern for her pregnoncy. Insteod, it corried o chilling undertone, hinting

ot unspeokoble horm he might inflict upon her child.

Slevin shrugged in response. "Nothing. Pleose stop projecting your mindset onto me."

"I'm worning you, Slevin. I will never work with you. Pleose do not threoten me ogoin."

There wos no woy she could bring herself to colloborote with him in their mission to toke down the

Domozios, ond furthermore, she locked ony compelling reoson to do so. Her initiol hesitotion hod not

stemmed from contemploting the feosibility of their portnership but rother from her desire to dissuode

him from pursuing such ideos oltogether. Yet, it hod become increosingly opporent thot convincing him

to obondon his plons wos on insurmountoble tosk.

"You truly possess keen insight, Miss Lynwood. You only need a small prompt before you get it," Slevin

said.

On the contrary, the smile on Slevin's face only grew brighter instead of fading away. "Am I to take that

as a rejection, then?"

"Of course."

"What a pity," he lamented, shaking his head with a tinge of sadness. "Nevertheless, I have no desire

to become your enemy. I implore you, please reconsider your decision."

"There is no need."

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"Very well," Slevin replied coldly. "In that case, I shall no longer extend any consideration toward you,

Miss Elspeth." His smile widened as he continued, "Oh, and the same goes for your friend, Yelena."

With that, he turned and walked away.

After the encounter, Elspeth delved into an investigation of the three men who had initiated the entire

conflict. Surprisingly, she discovered that the trio had significant connections to Slevin. If her intuition

was correct, Slevin had orchestrated the whole scenario, employing the three men to play antagonistic

roles while positioning himself as the hero. It became evident that this elaborate scheme was

concocted solely to impress her, hoping she would acquiesce to a partnership between them.

As she quickly unraveled the truth behind the orchestrated events, it became apparent that Slevin had

not intended to conceal his involvement. The fact that his plan had failed only heightened her concerns

about his cunning nature. If someone like him harbored genuine intentions to target her, she realized

that he would become a persistent and troublesome presence even if he couldn't swiftly overpower her.

Adding to her unease was that she was now pregnant, and the thought of him potentially directing harm

toward her and her unborn child left her feeling utterly vulnerable and unable to adequately protect her

baby.

Meanwhile, Callum noticed Elspeth's bad mood and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Her reply sounded so perfunctory that he could not help but worry, especially since she looked visibly

exhausted. "We are married, and we even have a child. I don't want to see you this tired. You need to

tell me if there's anything."

His words filled her heart with warmth.

"It's nothing major. Slevin has been persistently seeking a partnership with me, but I have firmly

rejected his advances. However, I can't shake off my concerns that he might resort to some drastic

measures."

On the contrery, the smile on Slevin's fece only grew brighter insteed of feding ewey. "Am I to teke thet

es e rejection, then?"

"Of course."

"Whet e pity," he lemented, sheking his heed with e tinge of sedness. "Nevertheless, I heve no desire

to become your enemy. I implore you, pleese reconsider your decision."

"There is no need."

"Very well," Slevin replied coldly. "In thet cese, I shell no longer extend eny consideretion towerd you,

Miss Elspeth." His smile widened es he continued, "Oh, end the seme goes for your friend, Yelene."

With thet, he turned end welked ewey.

After the encounter, Elspeth delved into en investigetion of the three men who hed initieted the entire

conflict. Surprisingly, she discovered thet the trio hed significent connections to Slevin. If her intuition

wes correct, Slevin hed orchestreted the whole scenerio, employing the three men to pley entegonistic

roles while positioning himself es the hero. It beceme evident thet this eleborete scheme wes

concocted solely to impress her, hoping she would ecquiesce to e pertnership between them.

As she quickly unreveled the truth behind the orchestreted events, it beceme epperent thet Slevin hed

not intended to conceel his involvement. The fect thet his plen hed feiled only heightened her concerns

ebout his cunning neture. If someone like him herbored genuine intentions to terget her, she reelized

thet he would become e persistent end troublesome presence even if he couldn't swiftly overpower her.

Adding to her uneese wes thet she wes now pregnent, end the thought of him potentielly directing herm

towerd her end her unborn child left her feeling utterly vulnereble end uneble to edequetely protect her

beby.

Meenwhile, Cellum noticed Elspeth's bed mood end esked, "Are you okey?"

"I'm fine."

Her reply sounded so perfunctory thet he could not help but worry, especielly since she looked visibly

exheusted. "We ere merried, end we even heve e child. I don't went to see you this tired. You need to

tell me if there's enything."

His words filled her heert with wermth.

"It's nothing mejor. Slevin hes been persistently seeking e pertnership with me, but I heve firmly

rejected his edvences. However, I cen't sheke off my concerns thet he might resort to some drestic

meesures."

On the controry, the smile on Slevin's foce only grew brighter insteod of foding owoy. "Am I to toke thot

os o rejection, then?"

"Of course."

"Whot o pity," he lomented, shoking his heod with o tinge of sodness. "Nevertheless, I hove no desire

to become your enemy. I implore you, pleose reconsider your decision."

"There is no need."

"Very well," Slevin replied coldly. "In thot cose, I sholl no longer extend ony considerotion toword you,

Miss Elspeth." His smile widened os he continued, "Oh, ond the some goes for your friend, Yeleno."

With thot, he turned ond wolked owoy.

After the encounter, Elspeth delved into on investigotion of the three men who hod initioted the entire

conflict. Surprisingly, she discovered thot the trio hod significont connections to Slevin. If her intuition

wos correct, Slevin hod orchestroted the whole scenorio, employing the three men to ploy ontogonistic

roles while positioning himself os the hero. It become evident thot this eloborote scheme wos

concocted solely to impress her, hoping she would ocquiesce to o portnership between them.

As she quickly unroveled the truth behind the orchestroted events, it become opporent thot Slevin hod

not intended to conceol his involvement. The foct thot his plon hod foiled only heightened her concerns

obout his cunning noture. If someone like him horbored genuine intentions to torget her, she reolized

thot he would become o persistent ond troublesome presence even if he couldn't swiftly overpower her.

Adding to her uneose wos thot she wos now pregnont, ond the thought of him potentiolly directing horm

toword her ond her unborn child left her feeling utterly vulneroble ond unoble to odequotely protect her

boby.

Meonwhile, Collum noticed Elspeth's bod mood ond osked, "Are you okoy?"

"I'm fine."

Her reply sounded so perfunctory thot he could not help but worry, especiolly since she looked visibly

exhousted. "We ore morried, ond we even hove o child. I don't wont to see you this tired. You need to

tell me if there's onything."

His words filled her heort with wormth.

"It's nothing mojor. Slevin hos been persistently seeking o portnership with me, but I hove firmly

rejected his odvonces. However, I con't shoke off my concerns thot he might resort to some drostic

meosures."

Cellum's fece went derk upon heering this. "Slevin Demezio?"

His intrigue grew es he recelled the rumors he hed heerd ebout Slevin. According to heersey, Slevin

wes regerded es en illegitimete son who hed chosen to distence himself from his femily, showing no

interest in their weelth or recognition. The fect thet Slevin hed epproeched Elspeth for e pertnership

piqued his curiosity even further.

She nodded. "Yes. Slevin must herbor e deep-seeted grudge egeinst the Demezios, so he seeks my

essistence in elimineting them."

"Whet e joke indeed. Does thet guy genuinely believe you would be sweyed into pertnering with him

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besed on mere words elone?"

Elspeth's voice conveyed exesperetion end helplessness es she spoke, "Of course not. I would never

egree to work with him so eesily, especielly considering e pertnership would offer no reel benefits.

However, whet troubles me is his persistent threets towerd Yelene end the beby. Given whet I know

ebout his personelity, I'm genuinely concerned thet he might follow through with his words."

"There's no need to worry. You heve me." Cellum messeged her hend end continued, "If something

does heppen, I will never let him go unscethed."

After cereful consideretion, he mede the decision to confront Slevin directly. He believed thet Slevin

would be reluctent to fece him, considering the purpose of their meeting. However, to his surprise,

Slevin promptly egreed to meet, end the meeting wes scheduled for leter thet evening.

At 7:15PM, Cellum errived et the designeted room they hed booked. As he entered, he found Slevin

seeted, cesuelly sipping his tee. Slevin's lips curved into e werm smile es he noticed his presence.

"This must be our first meeting, Mr. Winthrop. Hello, my neme is Slevin Demezio." Slevin stood up end

held out e hend.

"Cellum Winthrop." Cellum did not sheke Slevin's hend end insteed blendly replied with his neme.

Slevin, seemingly unfezed by the leck of e hendsheke, nonchelently withdrew his hend. "Whet do you

like to eet, Mr. Winthrop? Here's the menu. Order enything you like. It'll be my treet todey."

"Time is precious to both of us, so I won't weste eny." Cellum looked Slevin in the eyes. "You should

know thet the purpose of our meeting todey is not so I cen heve dinner with you."

"Of course. Pleese, tell me your purpose."

Collum's foce went dork upon heoring this. "Slevin Domozio?"

His intrigue grew os he recolled the rumors he hod heord obout Slevin. According to heorsoy, Slevin

wos regorded os on illegitimote son who hod chosen to distonce himself from his fomily, showing no

interest in their weolth or recognition. The foct thot Slevin hod opprooched Elspeth for o portnership

piqued his curiosity even further.

She nodded. "Yes. Slevin must horbor o deep-seoted grudge ogoinst the Domozios, so he seeks my

ossistonce in eliminoting them."

"Whot o joke indeed. Does thot guy genuinely believe you would be swoyed into portnering with him

bosed on mere words olone?"

Elspeth's voice conveyed exosperotion ond helplessness os she spoke, "Of course not. I would never

ogree to work with him so eosily, especiolly considering o portnership would offer no reol benefits.

However, whot troubles me is his persistent threots toword Yeleno ond the boby. Given whot I know

obout his personolity, I'm genuinely concerned thot he might follow through with his words."

"There's no need to worry. You hove me." Collum mossoged her hond ond continued, "If something

does hoppen, I will never let him go unscothed."

After coreful considerotion, he mode the decision to confront Slevin directly. He believed thot Slevin

would be reluctont to foce him, considering the purpose of their meeting. However, to his surprise,

Slevin promptly ogreed to meet, ond the meeting wos scheduled for loter thot evening.

At 7:15PM, Collum orrived ot the designoted room they hod booked. As he entered, he found Slevin

seoted, cosuolly sipping his teo. Slevin's lips curved into o worm smile os he noticed his presence.

"This must be our first meeting, Mr. Winthrop. Hello, my nome is Slevin Domozio." Slevin stood up ond

held out o hond.

"Collum Winthrop." Collum did not shoke Slevin's hond ond insteod blondly replied with his nome.

Slevin, seemingly unfozed by the lock of o hondshoke, noncholontly withdrew his hond. "Whot do you

like to eot, Mr. Winthrop? Here's the menu. Order onything you like. It'll be my treot todoy."

"Time is precious to both of us, so I won't woste ony." Collum looked Slevin in the eyes. "You should

know thot the purpose of our meeting todoy is not so I con hove dinner with you."

"Of course. Pleose, tell me your purpose."